A memorable Spanish national team has managed to channel the emotions of the entire country with brave and skillful football, in a World Cup final that is hardly repeatable: it dominated Argentina at all times and nullified the game of a star like Lionel Messi in his international farewell. With their endurance and total football, they offered a formidable spectacle at the iconic MetLife Stadium, just a few kilometers from a New York where Spanish is spoken more than ever these days. Our country has lived a unique collective experience: thanks to a group of young players as brilliant as they are approachable, the best values of a modern, inspiring Spain capable of looking to the future with great confidence have been revealed.
In contrast to a moment of great political polarization and turmoil, when young people face immense difficulties accessing housing and planning their lives, the national team has acted as an important element of cohesion and optimism. The massive celebrations of fans dressed in Spanish flags that have taken place in the Basque Country and Catalonia are now part of our country’s history.
Much has changed, in football and society, in the 16 years since Spain won its first World Cup. However, the current team recalls the one that lifted the World Cup in South Africa. Despite being different generations, there are patterns and playing dynamics that once again give the team its own identity, as was clear in yesterday’s thrilling final. Luis de la Fuente‘s familiarity with the players from their formative stages has allowed him to weave a connecting thread between the recent past successes and a new prodigious stage which, moreover, still has a long way to go.
Spain has shown that it knows how to impose its rhythm on matches, dominate the ball against any kind of opponent, and maintain emotional control in situations of maximum tension. All of this is undoubtedly the result of hard work, but also of the affinity and good atmosphere that the group knows how to convey. They are young people for whom technology is inherent and who conduct themselves naturally and simply. But above all, they are excellent professionals, at a level very difficult to reach.
Read more Spain is forever
Beyond yesterday’s hard-fought and undeniable victory, the success of the Spanish national team is unquestionable: it has managed to recover from an adverse start to the World Cup, maintain self-confidence, refine its play as the tournament progressed, and preserve its style and personality against the toughest opponents, including France with Kylian Mbappé. Beyond the sporting realm, where it had no rival, it has also inspired and illuminated a country that today sees itself reflected in its values, courage, and ability to compete at the highest level. The World Champions represent a young Spain, facing the toughest challenges with enthusiasm and aspiring without any complexes to international excellence.
In recent decades, Spanish football has made the leap to the elite of national teams, which has sometimes involved the ups and downs and disappointments that all great teams suffer. Reaching and winning a World Cup final is a feat that involves all levels and structures of national football, and our country also stands out in this regard, with over a million registered athletes and tens of thousands of clubs across the territory. That today we are the great global reference and, moreover, will host our second World Cup in 2030 – this time alongside Portugal and Morocco – is not a matter of chance, but of the daily work and enthusiasm of millions of people dedicated, from different levels of responsibility, to the sport they are passionate about. Our country took longer than others to join the select club of World Champions, but its second World Cup now consolidates its international strength, and that is a lesson applicable to society at all levels, such as business, science, or creativity.
Numerous children from a Spain that is more diverse than ever have just experienced a historic World Cup and have dreamed of a young and bold team, in which Spaniards of different backgrounds and multiple origins see themselves represented. There is no doubt they will remember it for the rest of their lives.
Read more The Royal Family, in the World Cup final: «It will be a great show, only winning remains»
